Background: Hospital admissions among nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD) are burdensome, expensive, and provide limited clinical benefits. Compared to other patients, those with ADRD are more likely to experience adverse events, such as delirium, urinary infections, pneumonia, and functional decline. Research on nursing home residents has focused on the consequences [...]

Background: Delirium is a common clinical syndrome, particularly among elderly patients in the inpatient hospital setting, and carries considerable associated morbidity. These patients can display symptoms of inattention, agitation, and restlessness, often necessitating the use of chemical or physical restraints to ensure the safety of the patient and staff. Unfortunately, these interventions are not without [...]

Background: Delirium is a reversible condition that is common in hospitalized patients. Antipsychotics are often used to manage acute behavioral disturbances associated with hyperactive delirium. During transitions of care, plans to taper or discontinue these newly initiated antipsychotics can be unclear. As a result, these medications may be continued long-term, even as the acute episode [...]

Background: In-hospital delirium is associated with poor hospital outcomes, including longer hospital stays and increased morbidity. Nonpharmacological approaches have proven beneficial in reducing delirium occurrence by nearly 40%. Staffing shortages in healthcare have prompted the need for innovative strategies to prevent in-hospital delirium development. As such, we implemented a pilot program for delirium optimization with [...]

Background: Delirium is an acute, fluctuating confusional state that commonly develops in older and acutely ill hospitalized patients. This condition contributes to patient morbidity and mortality and substantial financial burden to the healthcare system through prolonged hospitalization and increased resource utilization. Clinical decision support within the electronic medical record (EMR) has shown potential to improve [...]

Background: Patients with delirium are at risk for increased mortality, length of hospital stay, and cognitive impairments for up to one year. In addition, it is estimated that healthcare costs are 2.5 times higher in patients with delirium than in those without. Purpose: Our quality improvement project aims to reduce the incidence of delirium. We [...]